Immigration policy + Fort Wayne: 4 things we’re watching

Hey Locals,

You’ve probably seen a lot of national and local stories about immigration policy lately – everything from murders and protests, to federal changes, presidential memos and judicial actions (or reactions). It's leading to a lot of chaos, confusion and – if you’re like us – concern about how it all relates to Fort Wayne.

This week, we did our best to break down a few key issues for you based on four things we’re watching locally, including: 1) police, 2) schools, 3) support organizations for immigrants and 4) state leaders.

We’re still waiting to hear back from some of the contacts we reached out to, and there’s certainly a lot left to report on this topic. But we hope today’s newsletter gives you a starting point to see ways immigration policy is playing out here and focus your attention. 

Now, let’s get started.

When it comes to immigration policy + Fort Wayne... here are four things we’re watching:

1) Police

• Why? In August, WANE 15 reported an 80% year-over-year surge in immigration arrests in Indiana. It also noted that, at Gov. Mike Braun’s recommendation, a handful of police departments across the state (like Noble County) “signed formal agreements allowing deputies to assist in immigration enforcement inside local jails.” This can take shape in several ways, including permitting local officers to execute warrants within a jail or correctional facility and allowing officers to identify/process the removal of non-citizens in their custody who may have pending/active criminal charges.
• So what’s happening in Fort Wayne? The FWPD tells us, “The Fort Wayne Police Department does not have an agreement or partnership with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Federal immigration laws are enforced by federal law enforcement agencies.” So while local police cannot impede the work of federal authorities, the FWPD is not taking additional steps to align itself more closely with ICE – a matter The JG editorial board suggests might have to do with time, budgets and space at the county jail. Speaking of Allen County, which operates its own sheriff's department: "In March, Allen County Sheriff’s Sgt. Ken Litzenberg told The Journal Gazette the department has had local ICE agents working with staff and checking jail logs of newly arrested inmates for several years" – though a formal agreement with ICE at the county level has not yet been reported. In 2025, state lawmakers adopted House Enrolled Act 1393, mandating that if an arresting officer has probable cause to believe an individual is not in the U.S. lawfully, the county jail must notify the sheriff, who will contact the proper authorities.

2) Schools

• Why? Yesterday, FWCS Superintendent Mark Daniel addressed worries about ICE and CBP arriving on FWCS campuses, saying, “We work closely with state law enforcement agencies on a regular basis and have no reason to believe the rumors are true.” These concerns likely stem not just from recent events in Minneapolis, but also from changes to federal immigration policy. While previous administrations have maintained a policy of prohibiting arrests in “sensitive locations,” like schools, the Trump administration announced last week that CBP and ICE would be allowed to make arrests at schools, churches, and hospitals.
• For a little background: Immigrant students can attend public schools, regardless of status, thanks to a 1982 US Supreme Court ruling, which “determined that it is unconstitutional to deny immigrant students — including those without legal status — a free education.” Despite this legal precedent, Attorney General Todd Rokita sued Indianapolis Public Schools last fall, accusing IPS of “maintaining policies that prevent staff from helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.”
• So what’s happening in Fort Wayne? Given all this, there’s a lot of talk online, leading local education officials to weigh in. FWCS sent a letter to students and families affirming the district’s commitment to student learning and safety, and committing to “not sharing parents’ or students’ immigration status.” As evidence of social media activity (both supporting and condemning recent immigration policy implementation), NACS Superintendent Wayne Barker also acknowledged online posts encouraging students to wear certain colors to oppose/support ICE, but reiterated that NACS’s responsibility “is to ensure that no student faces discrimination, harassment or intimidation at school.” Per the FWCS website, “before ICE officials or any law enforcement agency is allowed to enter our buildings (beyond the school office), FWCS staff will request a judicial warrant from the officers or agents.”
• It's worth noting: a recent Trump memo “authorizes ICE officers to use force to enter a residence based solely on a more narrow administrative warrant to arrest someone with a final order of removal, a move that advocates say collides with Fourth Amendment protections and upends years of advice given to immigrant communities,” AP News reports.

3) Local organizations that support immigrants

• Why? If language and cultural barriers weren’t enough, the Trump administration’s unprecedented immigration policy changes are making it more challenging for organizations that support immigrants – even legal immigrants – to do their work. As noted on Tuesday, the Trump administration announced the end of TPS for residents from Myanmar (formerly Burma) last fall. But at the beginning of this week, a federal judge blocked the move. This and other changes make it difficult for local organizations to keep their information and clients up to date, according to Amani Family Services, which provides community-based counseling and casework for more than 2,000 immigrants and refugees in Allen County.
• So what’s happening in Fort Wayne? According to Amani, there are “many interpretations of potential ramifications (of immigration policy changes) circulating – not all of which are accurate.” Amani relies on an in-house immigration attorney to regularly update its organization on new developments with respect to immigration policy, which can then be communicated to clients. Amani and Catholic Charities were also both named in an ongoing investigation by Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita into alleged labor trafficking in Allen County. Per a JG editorial written by Catholic Charities leadership, this requires devoting “critical resources to a demand that detracts from the services [they] provide.”

4) State leaders

• Why? As mentioned, Indiana AG Rokita has been investigating several organizations and companies throughout the state for suspected labor trafficking. The Indiana Lawyer notes this investigation is an unusual use of civil subpoenas (CIDs), which are typically used in fraud and consumer protection cases. It reports: “Rokita is instead deploying them to gather information about how employers, service providers, and local governments interact with immigrants.” 
• So what’s happening in Fort Wayne? Amani and Catholic Charities tell us they’ve complied with Rokita’s subpoenas, and no more information is yet available. But in Evansville, a judge blocked Rokita's inquiry into area organizations, ruling he lacked a "real factual basis" for labor trafficking probes. (Rokita also cited inaccurate information in his speech at the Allen County Courthouse, claiming Fort Wayne is a designated “Welcoming” city, when in fact, it is Allen County government (not the city) that received this national designation.
• Meanwhile, in the statehouse: Legislation authored by Rep. Liz Brown recently passed the Senate (and now heads to the House). This could change how local governments interact with federal immigration enforcement, primarily regarding immigration detainer requests. The bill also allows the governor to “withhold grants or state funding from a governmental body for up to a year if it’s found to have violated detainer-related requirements.” Rokita (who’s been engaged in a scuffle with Brown after he claimed she was harboring an “illegal alien” in her family), calls the legislation “toothless” and is advocating for “stronger enforcement language.”

Whew. That’s a lot to take in, and more news is still breaking.

What questions do you have about immigration policy, as it relates to the city/county? And what stories or groups are you following locally? Hit reply to this email, and let us know.

Until next time, Locals.

Your Reporter and Editor,

Rachel Horton and Kara Hackett